Dan Gable, Iowa wrestling legend, awarded Medal of Freedom

President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday to champion wrestler Dan Gable, an Iowa legend whom the president called one of the greatest athletes of all time.

“He’s an athletic giant who conquered one of the most difficult and ancient sports in the world,” Mr. Trump said in an Oval Office ceremony.

The president bestowed the nation’s highest civilian award to Mr. Gable, who won an Olympic gold medal in 1972 and two NCAA titles.

During a campaign rally in October in Iowa, Mr. Trump had promised to present the award to Mr. Gable.

At Monday’s ceremony, Mr. Trump referred to Mr. Gable’s remarkable collegiate career, in which he lost only once while wrestling for the Iowa State Cyclones, the last match of his three-year college career, and compared it with his ongoing legal challenges to his own loss in the Nov. 3 election.

“He won 117 consecutive matches and lost only one,” Mr. Trump said. “Well, you know, in politics, I won two, so I’m two-and-oh. And that’s pretty good, too. But we’ll see how that turns out.”

The president spoke of Mr. Gable’s only loss in terms that could apply to his own situation.

“After that lone defeat, Dan vowed that it wasn’t going to happen again,” Mr. Trump said. “He couldn’t stand the feeling of losing a match. He rededicated himself to mastering the sport and soon adapted his wrestling style to reach new heights of greatness.”

Mr. Trump, who stands 6-foot-3 inches tall, is six inches taller than Mr. Gable and has a considerable weight advantage, asked his famous guest, “Do you think I could take you in wrestling? Would I have a big advantage?”

“No, you would have no chance,” Mr. Gable replied to laughter.

“I agree,” the president said. “He’s the expert.”

As the coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes from 1976 to 1997, Mr. Gable’s squads won 15 NCAA team titles, including nine in a row, then a record for any NCAA team sport. His wrestlers included 152 all-Americans, 45 national champions, and 12 Olympians, including eight medalists.

Twenty-three family members joined him in the Oval Office for the event. Mr. Gable also mentioned his late parents and late sister Diane, who was killed when Mr. Gable was a high school student.

“I know they are here and they’re all proud,” he said.

Mr. Gable said winning one Olympic gold medal wasn’t the achievement that got him to the White House.

“It has been a lifetime of work, learning from many others to be an outstanding competitor and person, then taking that knowledge and applying it to many, many others in different ways to have them perform at their highest so they can be real successful,” he said. “I look at it as an inspiration. It will enhance our sport.”